


When in Heat

by BakaPandy



Category: Free!
Genre: Alpha Tachibana Makoto, Alpha Yamazaki Sousuke, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, M/M, Omega Matsuoka Rin, Omega Nanase Haruka, Omega Verse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-04-15
Packaged: 2019-10-14 00:56:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17498591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BakaPandy/pseuds/BakaPandy
Summary: Rin didn't ask to be an Omega.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! Thank you so much for your kind words in my post in the original fic. As promised, here is the REVAMPED VERSION. By popular choice (and personal preference) I will be re-posting this fic chapter by chapter. For those with a good memory, you'll see that there aren't TOO many differences, but just little things in the original I just wasn't happy with but I felt needed to be changed. Also, I am working on actually giving this story more direction.
> 
> But again, thank you to those still sticking with me after all this time!

“Hey Sousuke?”

Rin mumbled into the fabric of his scarf. Sousuke glanced at him from behind his own thick scarf, careful not to expose his neck to the nipping cold air.

“Yeah?” Sousuke replied. The word dissipated in a puff of breath before him, swirling away in wisps. Rin only stared at his feet as he walked, silent for a moment as he thought.

“What…” Rin began. “What do you think you’ll present as?”

He tightened his bare fists, shoved deep in his pockets. He’d rushed out with his gloves that morning.

There was a moment of silence before Sousuke shrugged and brought his arms up behind his head, thick-gloved fingers laced together at the base of his skull.

“Who knows?” He said noncommittally, deliberately blowing another frosty puff through his words. “The teacher said it’ll happen when it happens.”

“What do you want to present as?” Sousuke shot another side-glance at his best friend, who wasn’t looking back at him. When Rin didn’t continue, he only shrugged again. “Does it matter? It’s not like worrying about it will do anything.”

“It does matter, Sousuke!” Rin rebuked. Sousuke jumped at the sudden outburst and turned to face Rin in bewilderment. “It does matter!” Rin repeated, stamping his foot. “Our dream to go to the Olympics will be ruined if one of us is an Omega. Omegas never reach the Olympics.”

“Oi, Rin…” Sousuke started, arms up to placate him. “You don’t know that.” Rin only glared, bright eyes glistening crimson. “Plus, the teacher said Omegas really aren’t different and can do anything even an Alpha can.”

“You know that’s not true, Sousuke.” Rin stated darkly. Sousuke averted his eyes to the ground, uncertain what to say.

“I’ll definitely be an Alpha.” Rin declared, voice hard and resolute. Their eyes met and Rin’s gaze burned with determination.

“Yeah.” Sousuke replied.

 

* * *

 

Rin’s first heat hit during his second year studying abroad in Australia. He woke up with his throat dry as sand and his body burning as if it were in flames. When he didn’t respond to her call for breakfast, Lori went knocking on his door. Even as a Beta, it had taken barely a whiff before she knew exactly what was happening.

He didn’t go to school the rest of the week. He didn’t go to practice either. Not that he had been making any progress with his times anyway. Not since he lost to Haru that winter.

Rin cried every night that week, cursing his fate. Just as he was faced with a seemingly impenetrable wall, he’s dumped with the fate of being an Omega. It was a disaster; he was never going to reach his dream. He wanted to quit swimming all together.

But something inside him wouldn’t allow it. Whether it was his father’s voice or the innate defiant nature within him, he could not give it up. Even if he had to swim out of spite, he had to do it.


	2. Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An old friend arrives

Rin groaned as the insistent beeping increased in tempo. Face still plastered to the pillow, he reached out and patted haphazardly beside him until he found his phone and violently silenced the offending sound. With a click of his tongue, he pushed himself up and glowered at the puddle of drool darkening a misshapen patch on his pillowcase. Usually, mornings weren’t difficult; he enjoyed early starts. But this particular morning, his throat scratched something terrible and his body ached like hell.

He’d also had a weird dream that he barely remembered now. He hadn’t had a dream that left him agitated since his little tryst at last year’s regionals with Haru and the others. With a shake of his head and another low groan, he pushed himself out of bed to grab his toiletries.

A glance behind him showed Ai still sound asleep on the bunk above his, characteristically undisturbed by Rin’s morning ruckus. Rin made a mental note to make sure he was actually awake in time for practice. Running a hand through his hair, Rin padded to the dorm’s communal bathroom.

“Shit.” Rin cursed under his breath as he uncapped the bottle. Two lone pills sat at the bottom, staring at him like accusing eyes. He had been so immersed in training now that he had found his reason to keep swimming, to aim for the world even as an Omega, that he had neglected to refill his heat suppressants. He sighed heavily before popping one of the pills. It was significantly more difficult to get suppressants in Japan than it had been in Australia. It’ll take at least a week for a new shipment to come in. If he made the order now, hopefully it’ll reach him in time.

“Ai, wake up,” Rin called immediately upon re-entering the room. “AI.” He shouted louder, a little gruffer than he had intended, when there was no reply. The small lump peeking over the top bunk railing jerked and a head of silver hair shot up, immediately followed by a squeaked,

“YES!”

Ai’s bleary gaze swept around the room until they landed on Rin. One look at his expression and he stuttered, “R-Rin-senpai!” Rin only shook his head in exasperation.

“You need to get up. We have practice in half an hour,” he said. There was a scramble of movement.

“Yes, Rin-senpai!” Ai replied earnestly.

Rin ruffled the towel over his hair, patting dry the excess water from his shower. Even though he was going to jump in the pool in less than an hour, he’d rather not have a soaked shirt until then. “Oi,” Rin called darkly as his attention zeroed in on one of two desks in the room.  
“Y-Yes, Rin-senpai?” Ai was just about to leave for the bathroom.  
“I thought I told you to clean up properly here.” Rin jabbed a finger at the mess of books, papers, and strewn clothes across the desk. Ai visibly winced. “We’re changing roommates in a couple days, do you really want them to come in here with this crap everywhere?” Ai wilted slightly.  
“Yes, sir. I’ll clear up immediately.”

Rin made his way down the halls of his dorm. Other members of the swim team greeted him as he went. He nodded in response, squaring his shoulders to their respect.

Omegas at Samezuka Academy study and live alongside everyone else, which was more than that could be said for most other elite institutions in Japan. As long as the Omega remained strict to their hormone treatment, consisting of a weekly pill paired with a daily wash treatment to control the intoxicating scent that could cause problems for unbound Alphas and particularly virile Betas, there was usually no issue; administration also provided a fair amount of protection should problems arise. However, due to the expensive nature of the treatment, it was not an option for many.

Rin had been lucky, as his skill in the water had gained him enough attention for the school to offer him a scholarship and pay for his treatment. When he had first arrived, he could feel the skepticism emanating from the team. And at the time, he scoffed at himself, too. If it hadn’t been for his long-time rival, Haru, a talented swimmer and an Omega like himself, as well as the rest of the Iwatobi team, he likely would have dropped out. They showed him that with his friends supporting him, he could do anything, Omega or not.

After regaining his confidence, it only took a race or two to earned his teammates’ respect. They were a rowdy group, but the most decent collection of Alphas Rin has ever met, proven when they defended Rin from other teams during swim meets. He trusted them to have his back.

The shock when Captain Mikoshiba, (the loudest and most obnoxious Alpha Rin knows but one of the few Rin respects unequivocally), made him the next team captain resonated all the way to administration. There had been a tussle, but in the end, with the help of Mikoshiba’s unwavering resolve, Rin was appointed the captain. He prided himself in the image he has built since.

Rin contemplated the issue of approaching his health advisor about replenishing his heat suppressants as he strode towards the locker rooms. That day’s dose, as well as the one remaining pill, will get him through the next couple of weeks. He should get the order long before then if he made it that afternoon. He shuddered to think if it didn’t. The horror stories of Omegas instantly succumbing to their heats with a single missed dose drove him to stick strictly to his prescription. Rin shook his head to clear the thought.

 

* * *

 

Rin took his usual seat by the window with a loud sigh. In a bout of anxiety, he let morning practice end early so he could sprint to his health advisor’s office to make the order before his first class. He felt better, now that it was said and done, but that sense of dread would not leave him entirely until that little orange pill bottle was full.

 

* * *

 

He smelled him first before anything. Actually, that would be an understatement. The scent was more like a punch in the gut. Rin nearly doubled over with a gasp as his head suddenly swam and the knot that suddenly twisted in his stomach shot searing heat to the tips of his extremities. He cursed under his breath, barely registering the teacher’s voice as he spoke, as he struggled to regain his composure. The heady scent belonged unmistakably to an Alpha.

Occasionally, an Alpha’s pheromones could overcome the effect of the suppressants and trigger heat-like symptoms, even though a full heat wouldn’t actually occur. While Alphas can control the strength at which they release their pheromones to a certain degree, those who needed to work and live in close quarters with Omegas on a regular basis would also have their own wash regiment to maintain. Most others, however, did not, and the social stigma that surrounded walking around blasting your pheromones like an asshole was normally enough to keep things in check.

Clearly, this guy was a huge asshole.

With gritted teeth, Rin snuck a glance at the one other Omega in the class, a scrawny little thing he barely knew the name of, only to see him looking just as flushed and squirming uncomfortably in his seat. A pass over the few Alphas in the class showed them bristling with tension; a few even had their teeth bared in grimaces. That confirmed it. Whoever just entered the classroom was a giant prick.

Hands curled into tight shaking fists, Rin jerked his attention to the front of the classroom, ready to chew out the newcomer. But the moment their gazes met, Rin’s stomach dropped.

From the slope of his nose to the twist of his mouth, everything about the young man was foreign yet familiar to Rin all at once. The only thing that hadn’t changed all these years were those heavy drooping eyes with a teal gaze that seemed to caress Rin yet pierce right through him at the same time. All of the previous agitation dissipated from within Rin in an instant as a single name tumbled from his lips when the newcomer’s own mouth quirked slightly up in a smirk.

“Sousuke…?”


	3. Arrangement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin didn't think being roommates would be so complicated

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!! Here's chapter 3 of When in Heat! Thanks for your patience as always. Thanks for those still sticking around even though I'm basically rewriting this whole fic. I will be deleting the original fic post now!

The initial sensation that coursed through Rin was giddiness. It has been five years since he last saw Sousuke. To have his best and closest friend back at such a critical point of his life would be wonderful.

The second was guilt because Rin had been the one to first stop writing all those years ago. He had been the one to not contact Sousuke even after Rin had crawled his way out from the pit of despair he had dug himself into. He had been the one who had abandoned his best friend.

The last emotion that had him almost vibrating in his seat was purely petty jealous rage because _of course_ , Sousuke would present as an Alpha. Rin glared at Sousuke’s profile two rows away from him. Interestingly enough, the moment Sousuke had sat down in his seat, the onslaught of pheromones had diminished to normal levels, much to Rin’s and the rest of the class’ relief.

Rin continued to stare, assessing his best friend’s visage. Sousuke had matured significantly since the last time they saw each other just before Rin left for Australia. His previously small face, puffed slightly at the cheeks with baby fat, had slimmed and sharped to a strong jawline; his profile almost regal in its masculinity. A sweep down his body showed broad, butterfly shoulders, a long torso, and long legs that barely fit beneath the desk. He was definitely still taller than Rin. Rin could only describe the twisting in his chest to be envy. He quickly looked away with a disgruntled pout when Sousuke’s teal eye slid to the side to glance right at him.

 

* * *

 

The moment the bell rang to signal the end of classes that afternoon, Rin shot straight out of his seat with a clatter, stalked over to Sousuke, grabbed his wrist, and yanked him out of the classroom, ignoring the looks of bewilderment from their classmates. Rin knew full well the kind of impression they gave: an Omega dragging along a hulking Alpha behind could really only mean one thing, but Rin paid no mind has he lead his best friend through the halls without a single word.

 He didn’t stop until they reached a deserted courtyard. Once he sure they were out of prying eyes, he released his vice grip on Sousuke’s wrist and turned to face him. Sousuke maintained a neutral mien as their eyes met. Immediately Rin lunged at him, fist pulled back, with Sousuke mirroring him barely a beat later. But their fits never met, only crossed at the wrists before falling easily into a handshake routine that flowed naturally like water. They ended with their arms clasped, heads together, before bursting out in laughter.

 Then Rin lands a hard punch on Sousuke’s bicep.

 “OW!” Sousuke yelped, recoiling as he rubbed the throbbing sting from the assault. “I see you for the first time in five years and I get punched?”

 Rin’s lips jutted out in a pout that he knew clashed horribly with the glare he was desperately trying to pin on the other.

 “What the hell do you think you’re doing walking in blasting your stupid pheromones like some arrogant prick.” Rin demanded in a feeble attempt to stay angry. It was getting increasingly difficult when Sousuke gave him a pout of his own.

 “I didn’t mean to do that.” He mumbled as his hand crept up to rub the back of his neck in that same way he did when he was twelve. “I was a bit anxious so I forgot to keep it in check, that’s all.” Rin snorted.

 “You hardly seemed anxious at all.”

 “Well, that means my tactic worked, right?”

 “Yeah but now the class probably thinks you’re a giant dick.” Rin didn’t wait for Sousuke’s retort. “C’mere.” He grunts and pulls Sousuke into a tight hug.

 With such close contact, Sousuke’s scent washed over him once more as if he’d just dunked himself underwater. But the feeling wasn’t as violently punctuating as it had been back in the classroom. Instead, it felt just like when he swam: a warm inviting embrace that made him giddy and sent his heart racing. He wanted to stay there forever, surrounded by the soothing scent that wrapped so warm around him. He probably would have if Sousuke didn’t stiffen considerably under his hold when the hug extended a moment too long. Rin sighed.

 “Yes.” Rin intoned as he pulled away, shoving his hands in his pockets. His body suddenly felt far too cold. “I presented as an Omega.” A bitter laugh slipped from his lips, despite himself. “I probably jinxed myself that day, you remember?”

 “Rin-“

 “But,” Rin continued, pinning Sousuke with a hard look. “Like hell that’s going to stop me. I will damn well be the first Omega to win gold at the Olympics.” Rin watched as Sousuke’s expression shifted from slight bewilderment to a smile Rin didn’t realize he missed until then. When Sousuke laughed, something twisted deep in Rin’s chest.

 “Of course, Rin.” Sousuke said through a chuckle, “I never once doubted you for a moment, Alpha, Omega, or otherwise.” Rin huffed, trying to suppress the heat threatening to prickle up his neck. Instead, he hid his embarrassment by punching Sousuke in the arm again, lighter this time.

 Speaking of presenting.

 “Goddamn you, presenting as an Alpha. What the hell, Sousuke, you’re freaking huge.” Sousuke only chuckled again and relaxed easily into a self-assured stance.

 “Yeah, all the training certainly helped. But you’re one to talk.” Rin would deny that he squirmed under the intense gaze that swept once down then up his body. “You’re pretty bulked up for an Omega.” Rin dug his knee into the back of Sousuke thigh with a click of his tongue.

 “Shut it. I worked hard to look as good as I do.” Sousuke laughed. They strode to sit on the stone steps by the courtyard. “But seriously though, what brings you to Samezuka?” Rin asked. “Weren’t you at some nationally ranked school for swimming?” Sousuke shrugged and leaned back on his elbows.

 “Just thought I’d spend my last year of high school doing what I wanted since I know what I’m doing after I graduate.” Sousuke sounded solemn.

 “Oi…” A sense of dread suddenly welled up within Rin. He leaned close, scrutinizing his best friend’s face. “You’re not quitting swimming are you?” The words were bitter on his tongue as he watched Sousuke lean back forward to hide his face. Panic bristled in Rin’s chest as Sousuke remained silent. Then Rin saw the corner of his mouth twitch up in a smirk and Sousuke looked up at him once more, deep teal eyes glistening smugly.

 “I was scouted,” Sousuke said simply. It felt as if a bucket of cold water was suddenly dumped over Rin’s head.

 “You bastard.” Rin snapped, getting to his feet to dig his toe into Sousuke’s shin. “Don’t scare me like that!”

 “Stop, that hurts, Rin!” Sousuke protested through his laughter as he half-heartedly tried to fight him off. Rin collapsed back down to sit on the stone steps, eyes slipping shut as he leaned back.

 “Ah…that’s great, I’m envious. I’ve just got this year left to try and get scouted.”

 “I’m sure you will be,” Sousuke said without hesitation. Rin only hummed in response, enjoying the pleasant buzzing that thrummed through him.

 “Hey Sousuke, let’s be roommates.” The suggestion slipped out before Rin could even consider it. Suddenly the air around them went cold and the pleasurable buzzing stopped. Rin almost recoiled but, instead, looked quickly at his best friend, wary of the sudden change. “You don’t…want to?”

 “Rin.” Sousuke’s tone turned serious. “You don’t think that would be bad? I’m an Alpha, you’re an Omega. What if…something happened?” The collar of Rin’s jacket suddenly felt far too warm. “And,” Rin detected disappointment in his tone. “I highly doubt administration would allow it.” Crossing his arms, Rin slouched in his seat. So much for his good mood.

 No, this wasn’t right.

 He wanted this.

 “Sousuke, you want it, too, though, right?” Rin asked. Sousuke scratched back of his neck again.

 “Well, yeah, but-“

 “Then I trust you. We can make it work. I’m on heat suppressants and as long as you keep your dumb pheromones in check, it should be ok, right? If that’s not enough, there’s a wash regiment for you Alphas too.”

 “Rin, I don’t think-“

 “And, if worst comes to worst,” Rin continued over Sousuke. “We could…pretend that we’re Bonded.”

 “Rin!” Sousuke gaped. Rin couldn’t believe he just suggested that. Heat flooded to his face, making him squirm uncomfortably. No, be definitely couldn’t believe he just suggested that. And, the fact that the idea of being bonded to Sousuke made a small part of him _happy_ was incredibly unsettling.

 “I’m _kidding_.” He added quickly, stamping down what he knew was the instinctual side of him. It was just the Omega side of him trying to appeal to Sousuke’s Alpha.

 But his choice to room with Sousuke was his alone.

 “Come on, what do you say?” Sousuke regarded him carefully.

 “Are you really…ok with this?”

 "Yes.” Rin replied firmly.

 “And nothing will talk you out of it?” Rin shook his head. A heavy sigh blew from Sousuke’s lips.

 “Then I’m down.”

 Rin grinned.

 

* * *

 

“What do you mean you were planning on doing something like this from the beginning?” Rin stared down the small panel of two Beta men and one Alpha woman poised behind a table before him and Sousuke.

 “Matsuoka,” the Alpha woman replied calmly, voice laced with authority, “An Omega being captain of one of the best sports teams at Samezuka Academy is bound to arouse concerns. While we fully support your endeavors and aim for your success, we felt as a committee that assigning an Alpha as “support” would alleviate some of the resistance we have been experiencing. Think of them as a vice-captain.” Rin gritted his teeth.

 “I don’t need 'support'. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thanks. ” He bit out, struggling to keep his anger in check. One of the Beta men nodded,

“We understand that Matsuoka, but it was a unanimous decision for your protection. We feel that—”

“How come other Omegas aren’t subject to this nonsense?” Rin demanded.

“Other Omegas at this school aren’t participating in such high profile extracurricular activities.” Rin clicked his tongue in irritation.

“We had already gone through a few candidates from the swim team and were just starting the second round of interviews.” The Alpha woman spoke before Rin could retort once more. “However, we never expected you to present us with a decision of your own.” She turned her attention to Sousuke, who had been silent until then, standing with his back straight and shoulders squared. Rin was suddenly reminded why he was there in the first place.

“Sousuke’s my best friend, not some bodyguard. We wanted to room together because of that reason alone. And if he becomes vice-captain, it’s because he earned it. The fact that he’s an Alpha has nothing to do with it.” The other Beta man shuffled his papers.

“The fact that he’s an Alpha actually makes our job easier. If Yamazaki here is able to meet our expectations, you two may room together.”

“This is ridiculous.”

“We can begin the interview now. If you would please give us some time, Matsuoka.”

 

* * *

 

Rin fumed as he sat in the bench outside of the office, arms crossed tightly over his chest. It was outrageous that they believed he needed a bodyguard of any sort. Even with the recent societal shift towards supporting Omegas, the general stereotype of Omegas being weak and helpless, only existing to be coddled was still pervasive and never failed to piss Rin off. He sighed and relaxed slightly in his seat. It was a good thing Sousuke showed up when he did. At the very least he’d have someone he could trust to truly have his back.

 Sousuke sat rigidly in his seat, hands curled into nervous fists on his knees as he waited.

“How are you, Yamazaki?” The Alpha woman spoke first, knitting her fingers together on the table before her. Sousuke flexed his own hands and forced them to relax.

“Fine.”

“I’m going to ask you to tone it down a notch, Yamazaki. We’re just here to ask a few questions. No need to puff yourself up.” Sousuke winced slightly and took a deep breath. He hadn’t even realized he had been wound up enough to start releasing intimidation factors. Would they penalize him for not being in control? “That’s much better.” The Alpha woman continued calmly. “Now, it says here that you’ve just transferred in. Excellent grades and excellent recommendations; it’s not surprising you were accepted despite entering for the third year. But, Tokitsu is an excellent school in itself, with a powerhouse swim team, which you were an illustrious member of. What brings you here to Samezuka Academy?” Sousuke dropped his gaze briefly to his lap.

“I wanted to swim with Rin again in my last year of high school.” He said simply.

“And what is your relationship with Matsuoka?”

“We’re childhood friends. We grew up together.”

“I see, then your parents know each other well?” Sousuke wasn’t really sure he liked where the conversation was going.

“To an extent. They’re not as close as we are, but they do know each other.”

“Has there been any previous arrangement for the two of you to Bond?” It was suddenly getting uncomfortably hot in the room. Sousuke shifted in his seat.

“No. We went our separate ways before we presented.”

Sousuke knew what was coming.

“Do you have the intention of courting him?”

“I…” Sousuke hesitated. “I don’t know.” He finished with a shrug. The three panel members shared a look before the Alpha woman spoke again.

“Matsuoka is one of the most talented Omegas Samezuka Academy as seen. He also has the disposition to handle the opposition he is bound to face.” Amused pride sparked to life within Sousuke. “This is why we believe he would make an excellent role model for other Omegas at the school and for those that he will surely meet later in life. This is why we’ve allowed him to take on leadership roles typically delegated to Alphas.”

“However,” one of the Beta men spoke in continuation. “As an unbound Omega, he is at risk at being approached by Alphas and consequently forced into Bonding if he lets his guard down. Having an unwanted Bond and having to break it can have detrimental effects on him physically and mentally, even more so if there’s an unwanted pregnancy involved.” Sousuke frowned at the explanation. It felt rather extreme. Situations like that were rare nowadays.  
“So you were planning on making him Bond with someone?” He asked suspiciously.

“Making him? No. We simply wanted to facilitate the possibility of him making one himself. Ideally, him having a Bonded partner would make things easier. But, the last time we suggested it, he didn’t exactly agree.”

“And what if one of your candidates tried to force a Bond on him?”

“That’s why we’ve had the extensive interviews as well as other precautionary methods.”

“Then, shouldn’t _he_ make the decision on who’s suitable, then?”

“Would you force a Bond on him, Yamazaki?” It was sickening that they would even suggest that. Sousuke gritted his teeth, bristling slightly as he stamped down his temper.

“Of course not. Rin’s dream is to reach the Olympics and I will do everything in my power to have him achieve that goal, Bonded or not.” The Alpha woman blinked slowly at him before putting on a smile.

“Thank you, Yamazaki. That will be all. We can have Matsuoka come back in now.”

 

* * *

 

Rin wondered what they had talked about as he re-entered the office. Sousuke was still seated, but he turned back to look at Rin. Rin gave him a questioning look, but Sousuke only shrugged vaguely in response.

“Well?” Rin asked as he plopped down in the other available chair. “Did he pass your interview?”

“With flying colors.” The Alpha woman replied easily, shuffling her papers again. Giddiness suddenly welled up within Rin and he looked over at Sousuke, who gave him a muted lopsided smile in return. “You two can start rooming together when the dorm room turnover happens on Friday.” Rin automatically held a fist over the gap between his chair and Sousuke’s. Sousuke chuckled and tapped it with his own. “But, before that, Yamazaki will have come back in for a physical check up and be introduced to using the Alpha-targeted hormonal treatment.” Rin stiffened.

“Wait, what?” He asked. “Wouldn’t that stuff mess with him?”

“It is a necessary thing if you are to live together and we want to avoid something happening. It’ll take some getting used to, but it is harmless. ”

“Sousuke is an athlete! He can’t have something like that slowing him down!” Rin recalled hearing about the drug. It was relatively new and nowhere near as well developed as Omega heat suppressants. It essentially dulled the Alpha’s ability to perceive and react to pheromones but came with side affects, most concerning of which was extensive fatigue.

“If he has to, he can come off the drug. It leaves the system quickly.”

“But—“

“Rin.” Rin looked over at Sousuke who only gave him a reassuring smile. “I can handle it, it’s fine.” Rin frowned hard.

“Can we decide if he can stop using it?” The Alpha woman sighed.  
“The only situation in which we would officially allow him to come off of it would be if you chose to Bond.” Rin’s neck prickled at the suggestion. “Otherwise, he must follow the regiment for your protection.” Rin was ready to keep arguing.

“Rin, it’s fine, really. You don’t have to worry.” Rin glowered at Sousuke, who met his gaze with steady determination. Rin slumped in his seat.

“Is that all?” He grumbled, ready to leave the oppressive office.

“Yes.” One of the Beta men replied. “Yamazaki, you will have to come in tomorrow afternoon for the physical and orientation.” Sousuke nodded as he stood; Rin stood with him.

“Matsuoka, these are for you.” One of the Beta men came around the table and placed three little vials in Rin’s outstretched hand.

“…What are these?” He asked apprehensively.

“Tranquilizers.”

Rin almost threw the vials across the room.

“Don’t mess with me!” He snarled. “What is he, some wild animal now? What the hell do I need tranquilizers for?”

“Young Alphas like Yamazaki are prone to being volatile if they’re thrown into a frenzy.” Rin’s entire frame shook in rage at the implication.

“I’m on suppressants! There’s no need for that. Plus, Sousuke wouldn’t do something like that.”

“It’s not a matter whether he would or wouldn’t, Matsuoka. Until he has reached full adulthood or has Bonded, he will submit to his urges if they are triggered.”

“Still—“

“They’re for emergencies only.” Came the even response. “And not necessarily for Yamazaki specifically. They can be used on anyone you need them to be used on. Break the seal and inject the needle into any area of exposed skin. It’ll buy you time to get help.” Rin whirled around at the chuckle from beside him to see Sousuke smiling into his hand.

“Looks like I’ll have to be careful about teasing you too much if I don’t want to be knocked out, huh?” He said with a grin.

“Sousuke!” Rin cried. “This isn’t funny!” His throat was beginning to feel tight. He pointed at the Alpha woman. “You’re an Alpha, aren’t you? Isn’t this degrading? Where’s that arrogant pride in autonomy you Alphas all have, huh?”

“What must be done, must be done, Matsuoka.” She replied calmly. “We’re trying to help you.” Rin was at his wit’s end. If he had known merely asking for Sousuke to be his roommate was going to be such an ordeal, he never would have suggested it.

“Rin, please. It’s fine, really.” Rin’s throat closed further and he really felt the tears begin to rise this time.

“Hey, don’t cry…” Sousuke said, reaching for him. Rin gritted his teeth and turned on his heel towards the door, grabbing Sousuke’s outstretched wrist on the way.

“I’m not crying. We’re leaving.”

Rin was sure to close the door hard behind him.


End file.
